Vacation Reading

Our family spent a wonderfully relaxing week in northern Michigan last week. We had lots of sand and sun time, but I also lucky to find plenty of reading time. I cannot resist an independent book store and many towns in northern Michigan have at least one. They always earn a sale from me!
I finished the following books, in no particular order, last week:


Circus Mirandus  - 5/5 - A magical blend of storytelling at it's finest. This story centers around a young boy dealing with the illness of his grandfather, which brings on a nasty visit from his aunt. With the possibility of losing his beloved grandfather, Micah attempts to venture to the magical circus his grandfather is always telling him stories about experiencing. Micah believes the key to possibly saving his grandfather's life might be at Circus Mirandus. Along the way, Micah encounters the what true friendship might really be after all.
The way the author, Cassie Beasley, dealt with large issues of death, family, and friendship with stay with me for a very long time. Beautiful writing throughout this book. A definite must read for anyone who has also enjoyed Snicker of Magic or Clockwork Three or even Real Boy. Themes of friendship, death, loss, and friendship.



The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate  - 5/5 - I fell in love with Calpurnia in the first book in this series and that love grew during this second book. This series, set at the turn of the century, follows the only girl in a large Texas family. Instead of being content to learn the ways of "being a young lady of the house", Calpurnia instead has dreams of learning as much as she can about nature and science with her educated grandfather. With a brother who is constantly bringing home "orphaned" animals and a new vet in town to work for, Calpurnia definitely will be adding new information to her science journal. I found much more humor in this story compared to the first, and I enjoyed the events of the Galveston hurricane that occurred in the early 1900's being a large part of the story.



Stella by Starlight  - 5/5 - Sharon Draper is a favorite of my classes with a popular read aloud each year being Out Of My Mind. This might be my new favorite Draper read! Based on stories from her father and a journal left from her grandmother, Draper weaves a historical fiction tale that needs to be read by middle schoolers. The main character, Stella, lives in a small town in North Carolina that is very separated. This all comes to a head when the Klu Klux Klan becomes active in the town and Stella and her brother witness it.
There are moments of fear and moments of triumph that move this story to the top of my future read aloud list with students. Those that have enjoyed books by Christopher Paul Curtis or are looking for their next favorite historical fiction novel - need to read this!



The Honest Truth - 5/5 - Brillant book! I am still having trouble putting this book into words to share without sharing too much. The story is told by jumping back and forth between Mark and his best friend. Mark, the main character, has decided to run away from home and climb a mountain he has always dreamed of climbing as a way to escape some news about his health. His best friend, Jess, may know where Mark is headed and has the tough decision of keeping the secret or telling. It is gritty and real and just so well done. I was openly sobbing through parts of this book. The writing is perfect!



Rain Reign - 5/5 - Rose has gotten a dog from her father. The only gift he has really ever brought her and he brought it home from the back of the neighborhood bar. She names the dog Rain, because she loves names that are homophones, and now has a best friend. But stories can't end there! A hurricane blows through and Rose's father lets Rain out...Rose will find Rain no matter what the cost.
This would be a great book to pair with Rules or Because of Winn Dixie. Ann Martin just writes characters we can fall in love with!


Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk - 4/5 - Great twist on the classic Jack In The Beanstalk with a little bit of Jack the Giant Killer thrown in. Anyone who has read Rump or wants a fun twisted fairy tale should pick this one up soon! This author also has another twisted fairy tale coming out this spring called Red. Should be equally good!



Better Nate Than Ever - 5/5 - Nate is running away from home! Well, only for the day and only to audition for a play. If everything works out he will be into New York City, auditioned, and back home before his parents even notice...but things rarely work out the way they should. Great, fun read with themes of friendship and being true to yourself. The sequel is out and I am looking forward to reading that soon.